INCUMBENT Batu lawmaker P. Prabakaran wants Chua Tian Chang, better known as Tian Chua, to withdraw from contesting in the parliamentary seat to ensure Pakatan Harapan (PH) retains this urban seat.

He said that Tian Chua, who is contesting as an Independent in a 10-cornered fight, would only split the votes.

“I feel disappointed that it has come to this as he helped me a lot over the past four years.

“If he doesn’t withdraw, this would confuse voters and only affect the coalition.

“PH cannot afford to lose even a single seat,” he said during a press conference in Sentul today, reports The Star Online.

He also hoped that voters in the constituency would continue to support PH.

Yesterday, Tian Chua was reported as telling BFM radio station that he was contesting because Batu voters had protested against the incumbent’s performance.

He said he had also promised voters he would return to serve them after he was disqualified from contesting in the 2018 general election due to a RM2,000 fine for insulting the modesty of a police officer. He had been a two-term Batu MP prior to that.

He added that he wanted to ensure that the seat remained in the hands of PH, alluding that Prabakaran might not be re-elected this time.

Prabakaran won this seat as an Independent in the last general election, with the support of Tian Chua and PKR, and then joined the party.

However over the years, their relationship had deteriorated, with Tian Chua deciding to contest as an Independent to reclaim Batu.

Apart from Prabakaran and Tian Chua, the others who are in the race are A. Kohilan Pillay (Barisan Nasional), Azhar Yahya (Perikatan Nasional), Wan Azliana Wan Adnan (Pejuang), Naganathan Pillai (Warisan) and Mohd Zulkifli Abdul Fattah (Parti Rakyat Malaysia).

The Independents are lawyer-cum-activist Siti Zabedah Kasim, social media influencer Nur Fathiah Syazwana Shaharudin and social activist Too Cheng Huat. – November 6, 2022.